Excellart Sign Products offers aluminum extrusion profiles in two formats: pre-cut sign cabinet kits and full lengths. Both have a place in the shop. The right choice depends on how predictable the cabinet work is.
If the cabinet size and configuration are already known, a kit can save time. If the work changes from job to job, full lengths give the shop more flexibility.
When to Use Sign Cabinet Kits
Sign cabinet kits are the better fit for repeat cabinet work or jobs where the final dimensions are already set.
ESP kits arrive about 30% complete, so a large share of the prep work is done before the material reaches your shop. The frame comes pre-mitered to your dimensions, and each kit includes the main components needed to put the cabinet together: four pieces of frame, corner keys and corner angles, retainer pieces, and an assembly instruction guide.
Instead of pulling from full lengths, setting up the saw, measuring, cutting, and mitering each piece, your team can move straight into assembly.
That saves time on the shop floor. When the material is already cut to size, a cabinet can be assembled and ready to weld in under five minutes. Across a run of repeat cabinets, that time savings adds up quickly.
Kits make the most sense when you are building the same or similar cabinets consistently and want to reduce the cutting, setup, and prep work done in-house.
When to Use Full Lengths
Full lengths are the better fit when the work is more custom.
If your shop is cutting different cabinet sizes, changing configurations from job to job, or handling one-off builds, full lengths give you the flexibility to cut material as needed.
That makes full lengths useful for custom sign cabinets, high-variability work, and projects where the final dimensions are not as repeatable.
Kits vs. Full Lengths: The Simple Decision
Use kits when speed and consistency matter most. They help reduce in-house prep work and keep repeat cabinet builds moving.
Use full lengths when flexibility matters most. They let your shop cut and adapt material around the specific needs of each project.
Both options use ESP aluminum extrusion profiles. The difference is how much prep work you want completed before the material reaches your shop.
Find the Right Sign Cabinet for Your Project
Use the Excellart Kit Finder to answer a few project questions and find the right kit configuration. For project-specific questions, or just to chat contact the Excellart team at (800) 627-9044 or hello@excellart.com.